


Still Want You

by TribalMoogle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 09:12:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14375649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalMoogle/pseuds/TribalMoogle
Summary: You love Gladio, but you can't put him through this...





	Still Want You

“It’s over Gladio.” 

“What?”

“I can’t do this anymore.” You feel like you’re going to throw up your heart. You know the expression ‘cruel to be kind’ but you never imagined it would hurt this much.

“Why? What happened?” He desperately seeks out answers. 

_Because I’m dying,_ you want to say, but you can’t. Instead, you go with the most hurtful lie you can think of. “Because I don’t love you anymore.” You whisper before you run away like a coward. 

Back in your room, you let it all overwhelm you. You never thought a routine check up would turn your world upside down, but when the words _terminal_ and _not much time_ come out of the doctor’s mouth, well, your priorities change. 

You have no idea what’s ahead for you, but you know one thing, you can’t put the people you love through this. With Gladio it would be much better if he hates you than if he tried to make this all go away. 

You look at your face and can already see the toll your death sentence is taking on you. Gaunt. Pale. Undernourished. You apply a healthy layer of makeup to disguise what’s really going on underneath before you head to work at the Citadel and attempt to put your affairs in order.

\------------------------------ 

You knock on Ignis’s door.

“Come in.” 

You take a deep breath before entering. “Hey,” you push out. 

“Hello, I wan’t expecting you until later.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve had to shift some things around.” You reply cryptically. “Speaking of that, I hate to put more on your plate, but I don’t think I'll be able to finish these in time. You mind if I pass them off to you?”

He looks them over. “These aren’t due for another three months,” he prompts with a questioning tone.

“Yeah, I won’t be around then.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes,” you huff out just above a whisper. 

“Is that why you and Gladio…?” He asks cautiously.

Not trusting your voice, you simply nod to keep your tears in check. 

“But why? You two seemed to be getting on fine, I would think you could easily work through a long distance relationship.”

You clench your fist. _If only that was all it was._ “A relationship wouldn’t be possible.” You muster yourself to say.

“Come now, you’ve been through worse, surely you could–“

“I’m dying Ignis.”

You cut him off before his notions of what could be filter into your day dreaming head.

“What?”

You slowly look up to see the emotional sucker punch you’ve thrown at him. You can’t gauge his reaction more than just shock. You didn’t intend to tell him. You didn’t want anyone to know. You just wanted to drift seamlessly out of their lives. 

“How long?” He asks with a shaky voice. 

You shrug. “Could be two weeks, could be two months, it all depends on how long my body can hold in there. But I’m already going down hill. It’s just a matter of time.” Tears trail down your cheeks as you realize that Ignis is yet another friend you’ll soon lose. 

You stand there, immobilized by your sorrow, and let the emotions overtake you. Your whole body starts shaking when Ignis wraps his arms around you. You clutch at his back as he comforts you. Up until this point, you’ve avoided thinking about it too much because you knew it would terrify you like this. 

“I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

You pull away and look him straight in the eyes. “When I’m… gone, could you look after Gladio for me?” 

He gives you a sad smile. “Of course.”

You smile back and give him a kiss on the cheek before falling back into his hug. “You truly are a great friend. Thank you.” Your shaking finally subsides.

“But… you need to tell him.”

You tighten the grip on his shirt. “I can’t. He’d wanna try and fight it, but there’s nothing we can do. I’d rather have him hate me. It’s better this way.” 

“Are you sure that’s wise?”

“I can’t put him through something like that.”

“What about after? When he finds out? Isn’t putting him through that worse?”

“I, I don’t know what to do!” You cry into his shoulder.

\------------------------------ 

The extra work forces Ignis to stay in his office later than usual, but he doesn’t mind. If anything, it helps to distract him from the fact that one of his closest work companions, and dare he say, friends, is going to be gone soon.

A knock rouses him from his work. “Come in.” He wearily calls.

Gladio enters, more downtrodden than usual. “Hey, you’re here pretty late.”

Normally able to keep his emotions at bay, Ignis fights to keep his tone even. “Yes, well, I had some last minute documents get pushed my way.”

Gladio eyes the paperwork and spots your handwriting. He swallows hard. “ _She_ give those to you?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph, trying to make a clean break.” He says with bitterness. 

Ignis can’t help but rush to your defense. “She’s only doing what she feels is best.”

“What she feels is best, huh?” He shakes his head in disgust. “If this is what’s best, I’d hate to see what’s worse.”

“Gladio…” Ignis pushes out with great empathy. It’s difficult for him to watch his friend struggle with so much heartache, especially when he doesn’t know the true cause.

“I don’t know what happened. I thought we were fine, then she throws this curve ball out of the blue. Did she say anything to you?” He asks desperately.

Ignis’s hand twitches. He looks back to his papers. “No.”

Gladio picks up on the cue. “What did she say?” He asks with a bit of bite. 

Ignis looks up to him. “Nothing. She gave me the documents and said that she would be leaving.”

“Leaving? Where the hell’s she going?” He asks with fury. 

Ignis avoids his gaze once again. Gladio rushes over and grabs him by the collar. “Damnit Ignis, tell me where she’s going!”

“I can’t!”

“Why not? Just tell me and I’ll go find her.”

“That's impossible.”

“Just tell me what you know!”

“She’s dying, Gladio!” Ignis snaps.

Stunned silence lingers in the room. 

“What?”

Ignis lets out an exasperated sigh. “She doesn’t want you to have to watch while it happens.”

Gladio stares at Ignis in shocked silence then bolts out of the room.

\------------------------------ 

You snuggle up with a blanket on your couch and stare at the wall as you once again try and make sense of your situation.

Your front door bursts open and a distraught Gladio finds you. 

“Is it true?” He growls. 

You finally get over the shock and look away. “I was hoping he wouldn’t tell you.” 

He sits beside you, but still keeps his distance. “You should have told me.” You can feel how scared and sad he is.

“If I did, you would have tried to convince me to stay, that we can get through this. But we can’t.” You try your best to keep another breakdown at bay.

“If we’re together we can.” He grabs your hand in his.

“Terminal, Gladio. That means the end of the line.” You pull your hand away from his and hug your knees in tight to your body. “You need to just forget about me.” You burrow your head into your knees. 

You feel him circle in front of you and place his hands on your knees. “Marry me.” He whispers.

You shoot your head up. “What?” 

“I’m serious. If it really is that bad, then every moment we’re not together is a moment wasted.” His tone and expression has never been so sincere that it almost makes you cave, but you have to stand your ground. 

“Didn’t you hear me? I don’t have much longer. I can’t do that to you.” 

“And I can’t let you go through this alone.” His steely gaze has you petrified. He stares at you with such intense determination and sadness that it breaks you. 

You wrap your arms around him and cry. “I’m scared. I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna leave you.” He wraps you in his arms. 

“Then marry me. Don’t leave. Not just yet.’ You cry even more because you know you can’t, but you want to stay with him as long as you can.

\------------------------------ 

You organize the ceremony hastily, and avoid telling people the real reason for your rush.

You hear chatter downstairs from the small group of friends and family you’ve both invited as you get ready. The whole event it small and intimate.

You finish applying your makeup and stare into the mirror. Despite how physically depleted you feel, you’ve never been happier. As you study yourself in your gown, you muse that you’ve never looked so beautiful either. 

The prelude music begins to play downstairs and you give yourself one last smile in the mirror because the time has finally come. 

You stand up to go marry the man you love when the world starts to spin. You fall, and then everything goes black.

\------------------------------ 

The first thing you notice is some methodical beeping. Then, your throbbing head. Sensations slowly come back through the rest of your body. Your chest feels heavy as you take in breaths and something is clamped to your left hand.

You slowly open your eyes. A cautious glance around confirms that’s you’re in a hospital bed. Something must have happened. You look to your left hand and discover that the sensation is from the death grip that Gladio has on it. He’s sleeping so peacefully on your forearm that you hate to wake him.

“Gladio.” You rasp out with some difficulty.

He doesn’t move. You bring your right hand over and sluggishly stroke his hair. He nuzzles into the contact unconsciously before he rouses awake. It takes him a moment to blink the sleep and confusion from his eyes.

“Hey,” you offer with a smile.

“Hey,” he returns.

“Sorry I missed our wedding.” 

“That’s okay,” he says, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb. He fishes for something in his pocket and pulls out your rings. “I still brought these.”

He slides your ring on your finger. It looks far too bright and happy when contrasted with your withering body. You take his ring and attempt to place it on, but your lack of strength makes it impossible. 

“Here,” he wraps your hand in his and slides it on his finger. He pushes his face up to yours and gives you a loving kiss.

“Does this count?” You ask breathlessly.

“Of course it counts.” He smiles and kisses you again.

You study your hand thoughtfully. “Mrs. Amicitia… I like the sound of that.” You smile warmly at him.

“Yeah, me too.”

“I just wish I could be it for longer.” Your smile fades and he grips your hand tightly.

“You’ll be it long enough.”

You smile and close your eyes, etching the image of your now husband into your memory. 

As his image fades into darkness, so do you.


End file.
